Method of making a slide fastener



Dec. 24, 1963 G. M. T. RIBOT 3,114,967

METHOD OF MAKING A SLIDE FASTENER Filed June 8, 1960 E55 E5127 E5533 UUUU UUUUUUUU U UUU UU UU UUUUUUU UUUUU ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,114,937 Patented Dec. 24, 1963 3,114,967 METHOD F MAKHNG A SLIDE FASTENER Georges Marcel Thophile Ribot, 11? Cours .Iean .laures, Grenoble, France Filed June 8, 1960, Ser. No. 34,727 Claims priority, appiication France June 9, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 29-410) Slide or zip fasteners include two main components constituted generally each by a series of hooks fitted in a row along a bead formed on a canvas tape, each hook showing a hollow and a recessed section adapted to be fitted on corresponding sections of a cooperating hook on the other element.

Such hooks for slide fasteners are generally made by stamping out and cutting said hooks which are then secured to the tapes by means of special machines, or else, as provided generally, it is possible to start from a wire which is fashioned in a continuous manner and then cut into hook-shaped sections at the moment of the fitting of the hooks on the beaded tape.

These operations are performed by successive stampings, the metal wire being shifted intermittently to receive the tool along points of its length, and the tape being also shifted intermittently to receive each hook at a suitable distance from the preceding one.

The speed of such machines is necessarily limited by the rhythm of intermittent progression.

In all cases, the two elements, respectively of the righthand and left-hand type forming a slide fastener, are executed separately, and the two elements must be finally assembled together.

The manufacture of slide fasteners of this type shows however two serious drawbacks, which increase their cost price, even in the case of the speedier and cheaper method, to wit: that ensuring the execution of the slide fastener elements by means of wires:

It is necessary to resort to two machines operating in parallel and producing respectively the right-hand element and the left-hand element, or else, it is necessary to produce a continuous element and to cut it then into two parts so as to form respectively the final right-hand and left-hand elements;

In both cases, it is necessary, after the two elements of the fatsener have been executed, to proceed with a further independent operation for assembling the two elements of the fastener.

It should be also mentioned that the prior methods required the use of a beaded tape, so as to allow the fitting or crimping of the hooks thereon and, furthermore, it was impossible to produce a continuous movement with the machines serving for the so-called automatic production of such fasteners, since the machines executing such methods include intermittently moving parts, chiefly for shifting the wire and the tape.

In order to remove such drawbacks, I have found, according to my invention, an automatic method for producing slide fasteners, said method consisting in forming simultaneously both elements on a single machine, while executing the following operations on a metal strip assuming a continuous movement and the breadth of which is larger than the added breadths of the two elements of the fastener to be obtained:

Cutting out gates along the two rows located each in proximity with one edge of. said strip;

Stamping projecting and hollow studs along two rows located to either side of the medial longitudinal line of said strip;

Cutting out further gates along two rows located respectively between one of the rows of gates formed previously and the nearest row of projecting and recessed studs;

Cutting off obliquely the marginal sections of the strip, so as to form leg portions with narrow pointed flaps or lugs extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the strip;

Cutting out the central section of the strip between the two rows of projecting and hollow studs located at the inner ends of the extensions of said obliquely cut lugs;

Twisting the inner ends of said extensions to set the projecting and hollow studs in planes perpendicular to the general plane of the strip;

Mechanically interengaging the two slide fastener elements thus obtained;

Folding the outer ends of said lugs at so that the fastener hooks as a whole may have a U-shaped transverse cross-section;

Cutting transversely in each element of the fastener, across the narrow strip remaining between the first and the second series of gates, to separate the hooks from one another during the crimping of said hooks over two beadless tapes. It should be mentioned particularly that these operations are entirely executed by a machine having a simple device for each operation, the strip progressing smoothly along the machine without any interruption. This is possible according to the invention, since the operations necessary for the obtention of the hook elements of the slide fastener are executed entirely in one plane on the strip before placing parts thereof in different suitable planes. The strip is thus fashioned under pressure between two cylindrical discs provided with appropriate tools and rotating uniformly and smoothly.

I will now disclose my invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings illustrating, by way of a non-binding example, a preferred embodiment of my improved slide fastener. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view from above showing the metal strip serving for the production of the slide fastener during the successive operative stages to which said strip is subjected.

FIG. 2 is a view from above of a fraction of said strip, lying beyond the fraction illustrated in FIG. 1, after interengagement of the two elements forming the fastener.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a still further fraction of the strip, in which fraction the outer ends of the successive lugs of both elements have been folded rearwardly.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the fraction of the strip shown in and appearing as a U-shaped hook FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a still further fraction of the strip showing the two elements of the fastener crimped over headless tapes.

FIG. 6 is a view from above of a fraction of the fastener in its final condition, when secured to the two cooperating tapes.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a series of sections of a machine showing the progression of the strip between pairs of discs or rollers.

According to my invention, I start from a metal strip 2 of a rectangular cross-section, the breadth of which is larger than the added breadths of the two elements of the fastener to be obtained.

Said strip 2, which assumes a continuous translational movement, passes first in front of rotary punches which cut therein two rectangular gates 3 in transverse alignment, so as to form two rows of gates extending each near the corresponding longitudinal edges of the strip 2.

During its continuous movement, the strip 2 is subjected, after said punching, to a stamping operation which produces projecting studs 4 on one side and corresponding recesses on the other side, said recessed projecting studs extending along two rows located to either side of the medial longitudinal line of the strip 2.

Said strip is then subjected to a further cutting or punching operation, so as to form two further rows of gates 5, the gates of which are transversely aligned with and longitudinally shorter than the first-mentioned gates 3 and lie between the latter and the corresponding studs 4 so as to form narrow webs 10 between the gates 3, on the one hand, and the gates 4, on the other hand.

The strip 2 thus provided with gates 3, recessed studs 4 and gates 5, is subjected to an outer and to an inner cutting operation. The outer cutting is performed oblique- 1y as shown at 6, so as to remove the marginal sections of the strip 2 and to produce pointed lugs 7 formed by the webs between successive gates 3 and extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the strip 2. The inner cutting operation illustrated diagrammatically by the lines 8 of PEG. 1 removes the central web of the strip extending between the two rows of recessed projecting studs 4.

The operation forming the gates has left between said gates lugs 9. The last-mentioned operation subjects the strip to a cutting between the studs 4, so as to separate said successive studs which are thus carried at the end of the lugs 9 and by a twisting the studs 4 are now shifted into planes perpendicular to the strip, the projections and the hollows of said studs on the two elements lying on lines parallel with the longitudinal axis of said strip 2.

The strip 2 appears thus in the manner illustrated at the lower end of FIG. I: the strip 2 is subdivided, as shown, into the two elements or chains of the desired slide fastener.

The two elements are assembled during the shifting of the strip 2, by the interengagement of the corresponding projecting and hollow surfaces of the cooperating studs on said elements as shown clearly in FIG. 2.

The two interengaged elements of the fastener are then subjected to a folding of the outer lugs 7 at 90 with reference to the plane of the strip, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The fastener is thus constituted, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by a succession of hooks having a U-shaped crosssection, which are then crimped in succession and in a continuous manner onto beadless tapes 12, which tapes may be made of textile material or any other yielding material. It should be remarked however, that during said crimping of the fastener elements on the tapes 12, the hooks of said fastener are preferably separated from one another by a transverse shearing of the narrow longitudinal web It), so that the two elements of the fastener may show the desired yieldingness.

My improved slide fastener shows the following advantageous features:

Its cost price is clearly lower than that of a conventional fastener, by reason of the simultaneous and entirely automatic production of the two elements, while the usual independent assembling operation of the two fastener elements is cut out;

Its cost price is still further reduced by reason of the use of cheap headless tapes;

The amount of metal required for the execution of the metallic portion of the fastener is smaller than that generally required, which still further reduces the cost price of the fastener and, in fact, the metal strip may be thinner than hitherto for a same breadth of the fastener elements;

The strip of metal being machined in a single plane it is possible to resort to rotary machines for stamping, cutting, folding and crimping, instead of the usual machines which operate through impact and of which the speed is necessarily limited. In contradistinction, my invention resorts to machines assuming a continuous movement, which allows increasing the speed, while the life of the implementing is increased and the grade of the work is improved. Another advantage of the use of continuously moving machines resides in the comparatively silent operation of such machines when compared with those assuming an intermittent movement.

My improved method shows furthermore an important advantage: it is possible, if desired, to stop the production of the fastener before crimping the chains onto the tapes and to store said chains rolled on spools. Afterwards and according to the commercial orders received, it is easy to proceed with the final crimping onto the tapes of any desired color and length. The chain can also be subjected to a varnishing in the desired color or to a protecting metallization without any risk of damage for the tapes, which is not the case with the usual machines producing the metal hooks for slide fasteners.

Obviously, my invention is not limited to the sole embodiment disclosed hereinabove by way of example and it covers, in contradistinction, all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims and, in particular, the sequence of the operation is irrelevant.

What I claim is:

l. A method for producing a slide fastener, comprising in causing a metal strip including a longitudinal axis and edges parallel to said axis to assume a continuous translational movement in the direction of its longitudinal axis, and executing the following machining operations on said metal strip: cutting pairs of transversely aligned first gates at uniform spacings for forming two rows of second gates adjacent the corresponding edges of said metal strip and outer webs including outer ends between said first gates in each row, cutting second gates in transverse registry with said first gates of each row between one of said first gates and the longitudinal axis of said metal strip and inner webs including inner ends between said second gates in each row, stamping of a row of recessed and projecting studs between each of said second gates and the longitudinal axis of said metal strip whereby a central web is formed between said rows of studs, each of said studs lying in registry with one of said first gates, simultaneously cutting off the marginal portion of said metal strip and obliquely of the outer ends of said outer webs and cutting off said central web of said metal strip between said rows of studs so that each stud is connected solely to the inner end of the adjacent inner web, and bending said inner webs into planes perpendicular to the general plane of said metal strip, mechanically interengaging corresponding recessed projecting studs of said two rows of studs, bending upwardly said outer ends of the obliquely cut outer webs to form hooks constituted by the successive outer and inner webs carrying the studs of each row, and crimping said hooks onto headless tapes extending longitudinally of said metal strip.

2. A method for producing a slide fastener comprising causing a metal strip having a longitudinal axis and edges parallel to said axis to assume a continuous translational movement in the direction of its longitudinal axis, and executing the following machining operations on the said metal strip: cutting of pairs of transversely aligned larger gates at uniform spacings for forming two rows adjacent the corresponding edges of said metal strip and outer webs including outer ends between successive larger gates, cutting of longitudinally shorter gates in transverse registry with said larger gates of each row between a larger gate and the longitudinal axis of said metal strip for forming two rows of shorter gates, inner webs including inner ends between successive short gates and longitudinal webs extending between the corresponding rows of larger and shorter gates, stamping of a row of recessed and projecting studs between each of said shorter gates and the longitudinal axis of said metal strip to form two rows of studs and a central web between said rows of studs, each of said studs lying in registry with one of said larger gates, simultaneously cutting off of the marginal portion of said metal strip and cutting obliquely the outer ends of said outer webs between successive larger gates in both rows of said larger gates and cutting off said central web of said metal strip between the two rows of said studs whereby said studs are connected solely at the inner ends of said inner webs separating said shorter gates and then bending said inner webs into planes perpendicular to the general plane of said metal strip, mechanically interengaging corresponding recessed projecting studs of the two rows of said studs, folding at upwardly the outer ends of said outer webs for forming hooks, shearing transversely the longitudinal webs of the strip between the cooperating larger and shorter gates to separate said hooks thus formed by the successive outer said inner webs and carrying each a stud and crimping said hooks onto beadless tapes extending underneath the position of said longitudinal webs.

3. A method of making a slide fastener comprising continuously moving a strip of metal, including a longitudinal axis and edges, in a direction parallel to said axis, punching pairs of transversely aligned first gates in said metal strip for forming two rows of evenly spaced first gates separated by an outer web including an outer end adjacent to an edge of said metal strip, punching pairs of transversely aligned second gates for forming two rows of evenly spaced, second gates separated by an inner web wherein a row of said first gates is separated by a row of said second gates by a longitudinal web, stamping two rows of evenly spaced projecting studs wherein each row of said studs is between said longitudinal axis and a row of said second gates and said two rows of studs are transversely separated to provide a central web, obliquely cutting the edges of said metal strip for removing the portion of said strip between said first gates and the edge of said strip and for obliquely cutting the outer ends of said outer webs, cutting out said central web whereby a stud is solely connected to said inner end of an inner web, bending said inner webs into planes perpendicular to the plane including said metal strip, mechanically interengaging corresponding studs from each of said rows of studs, and fixing said outer webs to headless tapes extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said metal strip.

4. The method of claim 3 including bending said outer webs out of the plane of said metal strip to provide hooks for engaging said beadless tapes.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said outer webs are first folded perpendicularly upward for piercing said beadless tapes and then bent fiat toward said studs after engaging said beadless tapes.

6. The method of claim 5 further including shearing transversely said portions of said longitudinal webs between longitudinally successive inner Webs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,731,667 Johnson Oct. 15, 1929 1,793,099 Kuehner Feb. 17, 1931 1,992,254 Sundback Feb. 26, 1935 2,050,869 Heyde Aug. 11, 1936 2,083,279 Quisling June 8, 1937 2,116,712 Prentice May 10, 1938 

1. A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SLIDE FASTENER, COMPRISING IN CAUSING A METAL STRIP INCLUDING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND EDGES PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS TO ASSUME A CONTINUOUS TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, AND EXECUTING THE FOLLOWING MACHINING OPERATIONS ON SAID METAL STRIP: CUTTING PAIRS OF TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED FIRST GATES AT UNIFORM SPACINGS FOR FORMING TWO ROWS OF SECOND GATES ADJACENT THE CORRESPONDING EDGES OF SAID METAL STRIP AND OUTER WEBS INCLUDING OUTER ENDS BETWEEN SAID FIRST GATES IN EACH ROW, CUTTING SECOND GATES IN TRANSVERSE REGISTRY WITH SAID FIRST GATES OF EACH ROW BETWEEN ONE OF SAID FIRST GATES AND THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID METAL STRIP AND INNER WEBS INCLUDING INNER ENDS BETWEEN SAID SECOND GATES IN EACH ROW, STAMPING OF A ROW OF RECESSED AND PROJECTING STUDS BETWEEN EACH OF SAID SECOND GATES AND THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID METAL STRIP WHEREBY A CENTRAL WEB IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID ROWS OF STUDS, EACH OF SAID STUDS LYING IN REGISTRY WITH ONE OF SAID FIRST GATES, SIMULTANEOUSLY CUTTING OFF THE MARGINAL PORTION OF SAID METAL STRIP AND OBLIQUELY OF THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID OUTER WEBS AND CUTTING OFF SAID CENTRAL WEB OF SAID METAL STRIP BETWEEN SAID ROWS OF STUDS SO THAT EACH STUD IS CONNECTED SOLELY TO THE INNER END OF THE ADJACENT INNER WEB, AND BENDING SAID INNER WEBS INTO PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO THE GENERAL PLANE OF SAID METAL STRIP, MECHANICALLY INTERENGAGING CORRESPONDING RECESSED PROJECTING STUDS OF SAID TWO ROWS OF STUDS, BENDING UPWARDLY SAID OUTER ENDS OF THE OBLIQUELY CUT OUTER WEBS TO FORM HOOKS CONSTITUTED BY THE SUCCESSIVE OUTER AND INNER WEBS CARRYING THE STUDS OF EACH ROW, AND CRIMPING SAID HOOKS ONTO BEADLESS TAPES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID METAL STRIP. 